02 January 2026, 10:47

“Free and gifted.” What made Marc Chagall a global treasure?

Marc Chagall. An archive photo

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MINSK, 2 January (BelTA) – In a new episode of the On Point. The Nation’s Pride project on BelTA’s YouTube channel, guide Sofiya Macharashvili explained why the Belarusian artist Marc Chagall became a figure of global significance.

Reflecting on why Marc Chagall is known worldwide as a Russian and Jewish artist, despite being born in what is now Belarus, Sofiya Macharashvili noted: “It depends on who writes about this. Foreign journalists, writers, editors. They see him as Russian, but they also know he is of Jewish descent, so they add that clarification.”

Speaking about Marc Chagall’s path, Sofiya Macharashvili mentioned that he initially left to study in St. Petersburg and later in Paris: “He was told he needed to learn from French artists. Perhaps it was a dream, a desire, or an impulse that set him on this path.”

Commenting on Marc Chagall’s global significance, Sofiya Macharashvili noted that for individuals of culture and high spirituality, nationality is irrelevant: “When people communicate, become friends, create art, socialize, or go to exhibitions – what difference does it make?”

“We are stirred by his talent and genius. Everyone knows that Marc Chagall was born near Vitebsk. He was so free and brilliant in that freedom. He knew the essence of values: what memory and what love is. Much has been written on this in Maya Plisetskaya’s book, as she was a friend of the artist,” the guide said. Incidentally, Marc Chagall embellished the Metropolitan Opera House in New York with a stained‑glass window depicting the ballerina.